The label was founded by
Paul Smith to give UK release to albums by
Sonic Youth, a US band with which he was then working closely. It went on to feature more hardcore rock bands than the master label of its
synthpop-oriented parent company. Before Mute Records was sold to the EMI group, Blast First fit into the company's profile, which included labels such as the Fine Line and the Grey Area. The label's employees included the sisters Pat and Liz Naylor, and the novelist
Alistair Fruish. The label released a range of
alternative music from
Butthole Surfers and
Labradford through
Suicide and
Sonic Youth to the William Fairey Band's
Acid Brass collection. The latter, a departure for a label noted for its guitar based rock bands, was a
covers album of tunes such as
A Guy Called Gerald's "Voodoo Ray" and
808 State's "Pacific," all replayed by a brass band. Blast First also organised the Disobey experimental club nights, with
Russell Haswell and
Bruce Gilbert (aka DJ Beekeeper) of the
Post-punk band
Wire. == Artists ==